Can charcoal replace activated carbon?

I can't. Activated carbon is made of charcoal, but it needs to be activated by a special process and has a porous structure to have high adsorption, while the adsorption of charcoal is very small. Activated carbon is a microcrystalline carbon material, mainly made of carbon-containing materials, with black appearance, developed internal pore structure, large specific surface area and strong adsorption capacity.

Classification of carbon: white charcoal: origin of white charcoal raw materials: white charcoal is mainly made of hard broad-leaved trees of FAGACEAE and Ulmaceae, which are mainly distributed in Zhejiang (Longquan), Hunan, Fujian, Shaanxi, Hubei (Shiyan, Shenlongjia and other places), Henan (Luoyang, Nanyang), Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Shandong and other regions. Due to the national environmental protection policy, this industry has become less and less.

Features: Advantages: long burning time, smokeless, pollution-free, heavy specific gravity, metallic steel sound when knocking; Disadvantages: it is easy to explode when wet (there is a crackling sound when burning, and sparks splash and hurt people), and it is expensive.

Black charcoal: origin of black charcoal raw materials: mainly soft and broad-leaved fuelwood. Due to different tree species, it can be divided into: expensive tea ceremony charcoal, branch charcoal, bamboo charcoal and other low-priced civil black charcoal. Tea ceremony charcoal and branch charcoal are mainly produced in three northeastern provinces rich in forest resources, with oak wood as raw material, and the firing technology and material selection are extremely particular.